Paranoia in Dreamland
by Houdini124
Summary: Prepare yourselves. I love all my viewers, but some might scold me for this. Stories about how Meta Knight loses his mask and is seen. Review!
1. Mask Snatch

One day, a jovial Kirby was strolling down a path near Whispy's Forest. He didn't enter for fear he would find himself lost.

Kirby sat down in the shade of a tree who seemed to be in a pleasant mood, though the midsummer heat was unusually warmer that day.

Kirby closed his sapphire eyes slowly, the way he would if he required concentration in the heat of battle. There was a slight rustling in the tree above, but Kirby paid it no mind until an apple fell on his head.

Kirby started to look up, but heard a quiet gasp and a sound like wind and a vacuum cleaner being turned on, then nothing. Nothing remained of the noise on the appendage-like branches above.

Kirby shrugged it off and started walking away, but then remembered the apple and turned to inhale it. Kirby heard the same odd noise and thought he heard something land behind him, and looked to it with a full mouth.

What Kirby saw appeared to be his cloaked mentor, Meta Knight, only with his cape over his entire front side. Meta Knight froze when Kirby turned, and after a tense moment, Meta Knight whirled around and his cape transformed into clawed bat wings.

Meta Knight leaped for the sky, but Kirby, being as young as he is, had more agility and speed and lunged for Meta Knight's foot and they both hit the ground. Kirby naturally assumed that his mentor was giving him a surprise training session, which was the opposite of what Meta Knight had in mind.

"Kirby," Meta Knight slurred. "This is not a game. I will have you get off me and get on your way."

Kirby tilted his head in a confused, childish way and complied, but did not leave. Meta Knight's cape replaced his wings and he inched a portion of it under his face until he held it there and slowly stood.

"Poyo... Hide?" Kirby babbled.

"Don't be silly, Kirby. I'm not hiding anything," Meta Knight responded just a bit too fast.

Kirby walked up to Meta Knight and tugged on his cape. Meta Knight held it in place to the best of his ability, and was succeeding, right until the magical glove on his hand popped off, revealing a paw exactly like Kirby's. Unfortunately, Kirby pulled a bit harder right then, and the cape unlocked itself from Meta Knight's armor.

Meta Knight did the only thing that seemed logical. He ran, thinking, "Dedede... he'll pay for this." That morning, King Dedede decided to prank Meta Knight by stealing his mask, not knowing what was underneath but wanting the knowledge. So, the king stalked Meta Knight at a distance to Cappy Town. Meta Knight was exiting the grocery store, the goods in his bottomless cape, when he felt a tug on his mask. The tug was King Dedede on the roof of the grocery store with a fishing rod.

Meta Knight would have gone to the castle, but the inhabitants were usually in the halls, so he went to the next best place via flying. Whispy's Forest. Meta Knight was regretting the decision, as he heard Kirby's nearing footsteps behind him.

Meta Knight veered into the forest, hoping to lose his pink follower in there, but Kirby puffed up and flew over the trees.

Once Meta Knight thought he was finally safe, he rested his bare paw against a nearby tree and took a bit of a breather. Kirby landed silently on a branch above Meta Knight. Kirby, as if experiencing the effects of inhaling a Biospark, leaped down faster than gravity normally allowed and tackled poor Meta Knight to the ground on his back.

Meta Knight's eyes turned orange in surprise then a self-conscious navy blue, almost matching the color of his skin.

Kirby, on the other hand, cooed happily that he had tagged his mentor and seen him for what he truly was; a ponyan, one of Kirby's race. Meta Knight had the exact same appearance as Kirby, only with glowing bright white eyes and cheeks like cherries. At that moment however, Meta Knight himself was looking like a cherry due to his most well kept secret being wrenched into the open.

Kirby poyoed and hugged Meta Knight, who cringed awkwardly.

"Kirby..." Meta Knight began with a serious tone that contradicted his appearance, "You are to never speak of this. You are to never mention you saw my face. Do you understand?"

Kirby nodded and helped Meta Knight up.

"Ma... Mask?" Kirby asked.

"Yes, Dedede took it from me." Meta Knight sighed. "We'll see if we can get it back once I get my cape and my glove."

Just then, Kirby spied a Birdon in a nest and inhaled it. Kirby became Wing Kirby and took off his feathery headdress and gave it to Meta Knight. Kirby inhaled another Birdon and became Wing Kirby again. Kirby helped Meta Knight adjust the fasteners on the ability hat before the two Wing ponyans took off for the edge of the forest where Meta Knight's cape and lone glove were.

Going back was more difficult due to an unfortunate flock of Bronto Burts coming back from migration.

Kirby and Meta Knight landed, and as Meta Knight was finishing securing the latch on his cape, a baby Bronto Burt fell from the sky and landed roughly on the ground next to Kirby. Kirby picked it up and the diminutive Bronto Burt gazed mournfully at the flock of its kin flying away in the distance. Kirby set the Bronto Burt on one of the tails of his hat and used his Wing ability to soar toward the shrinking cloud of pink.

"Kirby!" Meta Knight shouted. But Kirby was already too far away. Meta Knight sighed as he put the ability hat in his cape and flew back to Castle Dedede with his bat wings.

Meta Knight was around halfway to the castle when a random Blipper came out from nowhere and hit him in the face.

"Where did that fish come from?!"

Three minutes later, Meta Knight stepped from midair onto the closest windowsill to the throne room, where King Dedede usually watched television.

Meta Knight took a deep breath as he shoved open a door with one hand while the other secured his cape to his face.

King Dedede turned toward the sound of a door opening.

"Well, there you are, Mety. You looked a little rushed back in the town this morning... Did you lose something important?"

Meta Knight fought the urge to correct the king on his name.

"Yes, sire, you could say that."

Right then, King Dedede's snail servant, Escargoon, slithered into the room.

"Here it is, Heika, Meta Knight's mask. He'll never guess what I did to..." Escargoon cut himself off as he realized the ponyan in question was standing right next to him. "Uh... Hey Sir Meta Knight! Here's your mask!" Then Escargoon dropped the mask on the floor and raced out the doors and locked himself in his room down the hall.

"I'll be leaving now. Thank you, Your Majesty." Meta Knight bowed and retreated to his own room and locked the door.

Meta Knight placed his mask on his desk and studied the front carefully. nothing seemed out of place. He flipped it over and inspected it. Not a trace of anything was found on the inside. Meta Knight spent an hour taking precautions to make sure his mask was safe to wear. And it was.

Meta Knight locked the straps of his mask to his shoulder armor and let out a relieved sigh as he moved into the kitchen to unpack his groceries.

Meanwhile, Kirby returned the Bronto Burt back to its flock and flew toward Castle Dedede. He had a promise to keep for a king. When Kirby entered the throne room, King Dedede turned to him immediately.

"Kirby! You're back! What did you find out?" the king excitedly interrogated. "Yeah! What did you discover about him?" Escargoon echoed.

Kirby motioned for King Dedede to follow as they went to the kitchen of the castle. Kirby dug around in the fridge until he found a fruit native to Dreamland called bobble. Bobble was navy blue and perfectly round. Kirby searched through a drawer and found paint and paint brushes. Kirby painted Meta Knight's face on the spherical fruit. King Dedede took a picture, and after it developed, made copies. While the king was waiting for the copies to finish, he gave Kirby the contract giving him the entire watermelon field for ten years.

The following day, Everyone had heard the news. They had to have, the picture of the painted bobble was taped on every door in town and castle with a message that read:

The real face of the head of defense

Meta Knight awoke the next day with people taunting and laughing at him. Now that everyone knew what was under his mask, he would have to move to a new planet. Mecheye sounded like the best choice at that moment. All the inhabitants were mechanical, not able to possess feelings. If he stayed in Dreamland, he would be run out by Dedede's demon beasts who were trying to wipe out Kirby. Now Meta Knight was the one who was hunted as the two looked alike.

If Meta Knight was fighting his own battle at the same time Kirby was, the demon beast could kill Kirby, or worse, capture him and bring him back to Nightmare's base, where...

Meta Knight woke up in a cold sweat. He looked around his bedroom. He got out of bed and checked the doors in the hall. There were no posters anywhere! He had been dreaming the whole time! With a smile concealed beneath his mask, Meta Knight got back into bed and fell asleep, face down.

The End?


	2. Flight

Meta Knight woke up the morning after the night he had the mentally scarring dream. He had a strange feeling but couldn't quite place it. Oh well.

Meta Knight got out of bed and stretched his arms, morphing his cape into his wings so he could stretch them too. Sword and Blade were already awake, but considering those two, that wasn't really surprising.

Meta Knight folded his wings back up and lumbered to the kitchen in his living space; eyes still dulled a tired, dark yellow.

The knight opened the fridge to find his breakfast when his eyes rested on a bobble. His mind drifted back to the horrible image of the painted bobble from his dream, but he shrugged it off and got out the milk.

Meta Knight poured some milk into a glass put the milk back in the fridge, then put instant breakfast and a straw in the milk. He hesitated, fearing the removal of his mask after the dream, even the slightest tip now made him edgy. So, the 'fearless' Star Warrior just stuck the straw though the eyehole in his mask, wiggling the straw to find his mouth.

After Meta Knight finished breakfast, he scraped the leftover dried drool off the inside of his mask and headed out the door, going nowhere in particular but not wanting to just sit and watch the television all day.

As Meta Knight strolled around the castle, he couldn't get his mind off the dream.

Eventually, Meta Knight just perched himself on the rail of the balcony nearest Cappy Town. Maybe watching over the Cappies would help ease his mind of the stress of the dream?

He saw Hana meet up with Mabel, both women chatting as they went into the grocery store. Meta Knight couldn't quite tell, but he thought he saw the prisoner with a bag resembling a T.A.C.'s sneak past Chief Borun, fast asleep in his rocking chair outside the police station.

Meta Knight stifled a chuckle at that. No matter how many times Chief Borun caught the prisoner; he always seemed to escape until a Cappy saw him.

"Hey, Meta Knight!"

Meta Knight turned around to see Fumu standing behind him.

"Hello, Fumu. How is your day today?" Meta Knight asked politely.

"Same as usual, stopped Bun and Hohhe from using Kirby as a soccer ball again today, but that's not why I came. Everyone in the castle heard you yelling in your sleep last night, yelling something about Kirby, your mask and a Blipper. What was that all about?" Fumu edged a bit closer.

Meta Knight processed what Fumu had claimed and mentally kicked himself in the face. 'I was yelling in my sleep?!' he thought ashamedly, 'I thought I trained myself not to do that in the army!'

Concealing a bright blush, Meta Knight vaguely replied, "It was only a dream, no need to worry yourself over me, Fumu."

But Fumu probed further, "What was the dream about?"

'Keke!' Meta Knight shifted uneasily and improvised a bit too fast, "See, in the dream, Kirby was fishing for Blippers, and as I was walking past, Kirby was hauling in a big catch, so I stopped to watch, then the catch came up and it turned out to be a Squishy which attached itself to my mask."

Fumu, being a bit skeptical today, noticed the small bead of sweat that had formed on Meta Knight's arm and knew he was hiding something. "Oh really?" She asked with a raised eyebrow, "And tell me, just how did you remove the Squishy?"

"Uh…"

"I knew it!" Fumu exclaimed, "What was it you were really yelling about?! And don't lie this time!"

Meta Knight sensed his anger rise at Fumu. "Why would you want to know so much anyway?" Meta Knight cried out as he uncurled his wings and took off flying away from the balcony.

Meta Knight's relief of escaping the dreaded conversation was cancelled when he felt something latch onto his foot.

"Woah! Aah!" Fumu yelped as she dangled off Meta Knight's foot, making their flight pattern off balance and erratic.

At one point, Meta Knight was in an uncontrolled dive, giving Fumu the chance to grasp onto his armor, which greatly assisted Meta Knight.

"Well, now that that little skirmish is over…" Meta Knight calmly started, "WHAT THE GORDO WERE YOU THINKING, GRABBING ONTO ME AS I FLEW?! WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!"

Fumu flinched fearlessly, but quietly claimed, "I think I understand what really happened. It wasn't mainly about neither fishing nor Kirby… But mainly focused on your mask, about what you look like."

Meta Knight liked Fumu as a friend whose knowledge he could compare to his own, but it was times like this that her brightness annoyed him. He sniffed, "Fine! Maybe it was! What of it? I won't tell anyone anytime soon."

"No, you won't…" Fumu muttered darkly. Then she sprang up on top of Meta Knight's head using the technique he had taught her so long ago.

"Fumu!" Meta Knight yelped in shock as they passed over Whispy's Forest, "You wouldn't!"

He felt her thumbs slip under the top half of his mask.

Meta Knight felt helpless as he couldn't see what she was doing, so he took a chance and reached up to pry her fingers away from his mask, only to have them pinned down against his head.

"Oh, Gordo, I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this, Fumu, but you leave me no other choice."

Before any word left her mouth, Meta Knight made a complete nosedive toward a lake in the forest, hoping to make her let go before they hit the water.

Fumu screamed. "OH MY GORDO WHAT ARE YOU DOING!"

"Keeping what is mine safe. I suggest you let go, unless you want to end up soaked."

"Never!"

Fumu tried to wrench his mask off, which was hard to do with one hand, as the other was holding captive two more struggling hands, vying for freedom.

Just as Fumu managed to loosen the straps enough to take off his mask, they hit the water, really hard. Meta Knight actually was knocked unconscious for a few seconds, waking up fifteen feet under the water.

As Meta Knight swam for the surface, Fumu treaded water, and realized what was in her hand.

A shining, silver disc.

"Aha! I did it! But where is he?" Fumu questioned herself aloud.

Just before Meta Knight broke the surface next to Fumu, a Blipper brushed against his exposed face, and he realized just the fix he was in. Meta Knight changed course and swam toward shore, not needing a breath of air as most ponyans can go up to two days nonstop swimming underwater.

Fumu was starting to worry about Meta Knight, but then she saw his form crawl out of the lake.

Meta Knight merely covered his face with his cape and turned to look at Fumu, who by this time was crawl stroking as fast as she could to him. Now that Meta Knight didn't have to worry about flying at the same time as grappling, he knew he could best Fumu in strength.

But he still worried.

Fumu crawled onto the shore, obviously still miffed about Meta Knight dumping her into a cold lake. She stood, breathing heavily, before she snapped her head up and rushed at the knight, who merely put out a hand which hit Fumu in the face, effectively stopping her from coming any closer to remove his cape.

Meta Knight plucked his mask from the writhing girl, turned around, and flew up into the nearest tree to put his mask back on.

Fumu, who wasn't done yet, used her training again to wall jump off the tree nearest to Meta Knight's.

Unfortunately, Meta Knight had, in his haste, chosen a low branch, and his mask was just on his face by the time he turned around to have Fumu slam into him, pinning him against the tree.

Meta Knight writhed, his eyes pleading for her to let go as he had underestimated her strength compared to his fatigue. Meta Knight's eyes glinted as Fumu removed one of her hands for a split second to tear his mask off. That was all the time he needed.

Meta Knight kicked off the tree and Fumu fell off, landing on her stomach as she watched Meta Knight flee.

Fumu forced herself to a standing position and ran after Meta Knight, gaining on him inch by slow inch.

Meta Knight, at this point, didn't want to use his wings lest he needed his cape for cover from the relentless girl. Meta Knight thought about the dream, he avoided Kirby to an extent by teleporting, but that was just him wanting to be at a certain level where he could learn that trick.

Both ponyan and ebbrian were soon out of the forest and racing up the hill to Castle Dedede, where Meta Knight hoped to lose Fumu in the spacious halls possibly by hiding in one of the supports and where Fumu hoped to get some help.

The drawbridge was up and Meta Knight had no choice but to temporarily get rid of his cape and fly above the wall.

Just as Meta Knight was uncurling his wings, ready for flight, Fumu grabbed his hand, only to be swatted away and left alone.

Fumu growled in frustration. The more Meta Knight hid his face, the more she wanted to know what he looked like which led to him hiding his face even more.

The drawbridge lowered, and Fumu ran as fast as she could, making the Waddle Dee that had lowered the drawbridge fall. Fumu called an apology before darting into the courtyard where the fountain was.

Kirby, Bun and Hohhe looked up from their game as Fumu sprinted past them, yelling over her shoulder, "Follow me!"

The three boys forgot their game and joined Fumu.

"What's goin' on, sis?" Bun asked his sister.

"I'm trying to find out what's under Meta Knight's mask. Did you see which way he went?"

"Uh… To the throne room, I think." Hohhe suggested.

All four sprinted toward the throne room as fast as they could.

Sure enough, Meta Knight was hiding in one of the support pillars.

Kirby flew up to him while Fumu climbed the wall using the cracks between the bricks footholds.

Meta Knight couldn't run as he was cornered on either side by Kirby and Fumu, the latter's excitement rising immensely.

Both slammed into the now scared knight. Fumu pinched Meta Knight's cape together so he couldn't spread his wings and Kirby inflated himself to cushion the trio's landing.

Due to Kirby acting like a pillow, Fumu, Meta Knight and Kirby hit the ground with a soft thud as Bun and Hohhe dashed over to help.

Kirby crawled out from underneath Meta Knight and held down his feet while Bun and Hohhe pinned both of the thrashing knight's hands to the floor.

Fumu, who had been watching, towered over Meta Knight, who stopped his thrashing, seeing at this point there was no hope.

Fumu reached down and first unclasped Meta Knight's mask to make it easier to remove.

Meta Knight felt his mask go slack and slide off his face to the side slightly.

Just as Fumu was about to slide her fingers under the metal, Meta Knight whispered, "After all I've done for you, and this is how you repay me?"

Fumu hesitated, not answering for a good long few minutes of internal conflict when she replied, "You were there when we needed you, yes, but who was it that was there?"

Her hands slid under his mask, slowly, deliberately, as if bracing herself for the surprise of what Meta Knight had to hide.

Everyone in the room recoiled in shock when the mask slid off, revealing Meta Knight's horrid secret and his worst nightmare; himself as he truly was.

A ponyan, like Kirby.

"Woah!" just about everyone in the room screamed simultaneously.

"Meta Knight, you're…" Fumu covered a side of her face with one hand as she pointed at Meta Knight and looked between him and Kirby.

Hohhe let out a snicker but held fast to Meta Knight's arm.

Kirby put on a questioning face.

Bun was laughing so hard he rolled off of Meta Knight's hand and lay on the floor laughing hysterically.

Meta Knight's face was entirely red with anger and embarrassment. He quickly rolled out of Hohhe's and Fumu's grasps on his hand and cape, snatched the mask out of Fumu's hand, giving her a blue and red eyed glare that would haunt her with guilt and terror forever.

Meta Knight dashed out of the room in shame, shoving forcefully past King Dedede who was just walking in with Escargoon in tow.

King Dedede took a moment to realize who just passed him and asked with wide eyes, "Was that Meta Knight?"

All the kids in the room nodded as King Dedede shot his cannon, the action he refers to as laughing.

Meanwhile, Meta Knight fumbled to put on his mask while sprinting down the abandoned hall. How dare that Fumu to get her friends to gang up on him like that! After guarding her since before she was even born, and Fumu repays him by uncovering him in front of a crowd? Disgraceful!

These thoughts went through his head as he swung open the door to his room, slipped inside and slammed it.

Meta Knight locked his door, now knowing one lock would never be enough for him, then collapsed on his bed.

Suddenly, Meta Knight heard a knock on his door.

Meta Knight groaned, fell off the bed, lumbered over to the door and opened it after unlocking it.

Outside stood Fumu with a curious face, "Meta Knight, are you okay? I just saw you run in and slam the door. What happened?"

"You should know," Meta Knight replied bitterly, "You never had to snoop, but you did and now my secret is revealed for the world to learn and laugh at."

Fumu tilted her head, "I didn't uncover a secret. I was having a sleepover with Honey at her house in Cappy Town. I just got back two minutes ago."

"What?" Meta Knight exclaimed, "But you were just in the throne room!"

"Nope, wasn't me."

Meta Knight brushed past Fumu in a hurried walk to the throne room. Fumu followed behind, unsure whether Meta Knight had cracked or not.

Meta Knight burst through the doors of the throne room to find King Dedede in the middle of praising Escargoon on his work today.

"… And I like how you made her so she wouldn't fizz out in water, too!"

King Dedede saw the expression of shock written on Escargoon's face and turned around to see Meta Knight, his eyes glowing red, standing in the doorway.

"I'm too young to die!" Escargoon shouted as he fled the room.

"Uh… Hi there, Mety. How has your day been?" King Dedede asked quietly.

"Why did you do it, King Dedede?" Fumu yelled at the king.

"Do what? I'm innocent!" King Dedede raised his hands and backed up.

"You've lied before! Why did you do it to Meta Knight, your best guard?"

"You don't even know what happened!" King Dedede raged at Fumu.

The king was met with silence as Fumu murmured something to Meta Knight. Meta Knight supposedly whispered back and Fumu's eyes widened.

"It's worse than I thought! How could you just tear off his mask like it was nothing?! Don't your guards have privacy policies?"

"Nope. And besides, it was Escargoon's robot that did all the work! Escargoon built it himself, only under my command. What's happened happened, and there's nothing you can do to get rid of these." King Dedede held up a bundle of pictures all with the same picture of Meta Knight rushing out of the throne room in the state he was in a mere ten minutes ago.

Fumu stared at Meta Knight in shock. "Meta Knight… Is that really you?"

Meta Knight silently nodded, eyes a darker blue than his cape.

"How can you even trust him? He made you help with a problem but didn't even tell you what the problem was," King Dedede sneered at Fumu.

Fumu clenched her fists and stepped forward, "I trust Meta Knight because he has protected me before I was even born. There's a possibility I wouldn't even be alive right now had it not been for Meta Knight, there's a chance you might not even be alive right now because of your demon beasts usually turning on you!"

"True…" King Dedede started, "But first, I need something to put on the news besides the prisoner escaping again and second, I'm the king around here and there's no reason why I can't because I'm in charge of this castle!"

"No you're not!" Fumu shouted, her temper breaking, "You're just an idiotic, obese, lying, lethargic, jerkish, self-proclaimed king that only causes problems wherever those shockingly intact feet take you! All you do is abuse your own subjects like they were dirt and stuff your fat mouth with anything you can find! What do you have to say for your snobbish, temperamental self?!"

Meta Knight stared in disbelief at Fumu. She just yelled at King Dedede with everything she had just for Meta Knight. That took guts.

King Dedede seemed to be in deep thought. Then the king asked, "Can you repeat that in English please?"

Fumu facepalmed and sighed. "That's my point." Fumu muttered.

"What's your point? Oh, well. Outta the way, worthless flesh! I gotta get stuff copied!"

King Dedede sprinted to the best of his ability out the door, and before Fumu or even Meta Knight could react, a shout and a few thumping noises were heard.

Fumu and Meta Knight rushed outside and saw Bun, Hohhe and Kirby all piled on top of King Dedede, Kirby eating the remains of a paper near King Dedede's hand.

"Kirby no!" King Dedede whined, "Those were going to make the rest of my life exciting! Wait, my robe camera!" King Dedede got up and looked down at the right side of his robe where the camera was presumably hidden and exclaimed, "No! Where is it?!"

Bun clenched his fist and when he reopened it, a few tiny metal shards fell to the ground.

"Yeah! Nice going Bun!" Fumu praised.

"I can be low, but not that low." Bun stated shortly.

King Dedede glared at the group. "You will pay… All of you, especially YOU!" King Dedede jabbed a finger at Meta Knight. Then he just ran off.

Hohhe whispered to Fumu, "Do you think he'll tell anyone?"

Fumu whispered back, "If Dedede has the brains to figure it out, but considering he lies all the time no one will believe him or even question him about it."

Meta Knight walked over to Bun. "Bun."

Bun looked at Meta Knight.

"Thank you. I hope there is something I can do in return for your favor."

Bun put his hands behind his head and thought for a moment. "Well, you could-"

Hohhe jabbed Bun in the ribs and Bun stuttered, "You could continue being yourself in all your ways."

Hohhe nodded as Meta Knight's eyes turned a happy blue.

"Thank you all, and with that, I must patrol."

"Not without us," Fumu recommended, "After all, who knows when King Dedede could strike again!"

Meta Knight nodded and the group of himself, Bun, Fumu, Kirby and Hohhe left the entrance to the throne room as Bun recommended lunch at his place, Meta Knight politely declining.


End file.
